Dr. Catherine Njigua is the Programs Director. She oversees all PEPFAR programs, ensures the standardisation of strategies across the institution, and facilitates integration of new project areas, e.g., mental health, into existing programs.

Dr. Njigua is a strategic and innovative thinker with 12 years of public health experience in the design, implementation, monitoring and strategic leadership for public health programs in Kenya supported through the Ministry of Health (MoH) and donor funded health programs. In this duration, she has innovatively promoted high-impact and sustainable public health interventions for primary health care, maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), Tuberculosis (TB), HIV and health systems strengthening in public, private and Faith-based health facilities.

Dr Njigua has provided technical oversight for HIV programming for >150,000 patients on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) across 21 counties in Kenya. The interventions supported towards HIV service delivery have entailed preventive, risk reduction and biomedical interventions for Children and Adults living with HIV (C/ALHIV), Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), and Key and Priority Populations (KPs).

Her accomplishments include technical oversight for evidence-based interventions (EBIs) towards HIV risk reduction and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (GB). She has built successful partnerships in operational research through routine engagements with the Ministry of Health, donor funded implementing partners, donor agency representatives, development partners, civil society organisations, and other key stakeholders. As part of her career achievements, Dr Njigua has supported advocacy for HIV service delivery and primary health care interventions in Kenya with US congress representatives. Through her work experience, she has acquired skills and expertise in planning, initiating and successfully executing large healthcare projects. She has gained tremendous experience in public health policy, research, HIV epidemic control, behaviour change interventions, primary health care, and sustainable health systems strengthening initiatives.

Dr Njigua is a medical practitioner duly registered with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC). She holds a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Nairobi School of Public Health. She also has a Leading High Performing Health Care Organizations (LeHHO) certificate from Strathmore University, Nairobi.